There are almost 13 million people in Australia working in a huge variety of industries. While some of these professionals will remain in the same industry, there’s a good percentage that will branch out and find that their skills are also valuable in other trades.
Hiring a candidate that doesn’t have similar work experience can be challenging. There are many prospects that may seem like a great fit. But, if they haven’t proven themselves in the industry, you may have to groom them before they start performing at the level you desire.
That said, choosing to hire a new employee that doesn’t have industry experience can actually have a rejuvenating effect on your company. In this article, we’ll provide 4 awesome tips to help you hire candidates that don’t have similar work experience.
Why Consider a Candidate that Hasn’t Worked in the Industry?
Before looking at the tips to help you find the best prospects, it’s important to understand how hiring employees without similar experience can benefit your business.
Bringing in a new team member that doesn’t have any experience in the industry means that you’ll have to take the time to prepare them for their tasks. But, this means that you get the chance to mould their particular skill set to match your internal processes. And, because they haven’t learnt any shortcuts, there’s a strong chance they’ll follow your instructions very carefully.
Not only this, but having someone that has a different perspective can also help you find solutions to recurring problems. You can also develop better workflows and create alternative processes that can be more efficient than your previous setup.
4 Tips to Help You Hire Candidates With No Similar Work Experience
Employing a person that doesn’t have a proven track record in your trade may be challenging, but it can also bring a number of great benefits for your business. Here are some tips to help you recruit candidates with no similar work experience.
Assess Communication Skills
Communication skills are important in most business environments. Great communication skills can help new employees integrate quickly and allow them to interact with customers as well as their team members in a more effective way. Assessing this skill will help you decide whether the prospect will be easy to train and how well they will interact with your customers.
Evaluate Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Despite the fact that most companies try to provide the best tools and structure, it’s common to encounter unpredictable problems. Always try to evaluate your prospect’s critical thinking and problem-solving abilities to determine if they will have a positive impact on your company.
Consider Initiative and Personality
It’s common for managers and recruiters to look at technical skills, but you should also keep team chemistry in mind. During your recruiting process, you should determine if your candidates have the tendency to take the initiative. Also, try to assess their personality and figure out if they will make a good fit with your current team.
Keep Adaptability and Collaboration in Mind
Two of the most important skills that all employees should master is adaptability and collaboration. If you have a potential team member who doesn’t have industry experience but has the ability to adapt and work in a collaborative environment, you should take the chance an bring him or her on board.
Get Help from a Reliable Firm
Hiring the right team member is challenging, especially if you are considering a candidate that doesn’t have work experience in your industry. The tips above should help you identify the best prospects and find a reliable team member that will be easy to groom.
If you want to work with a professional consultant to find the best candidates, get in touch with us and our team will be glad to help.
Author’s Bio
Kym Wallis, the founding director of Higher Ranking has over 15 years of advertising sales, digital strategy, and business development experience. He is currently working as Digital Adviser for Acclaim Rewards.